Extradition of SRS members makes it to EU’s list of conditions

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn has urged Serbia during his visit here last week to extradite Vjerica Radeta and Petar Jojic to the Hague Tribunal (ICTY).

Along with Jovan “Jovo” Ostojic – who recently passed away – the two are members of the opposition SRS party, led by Vojislav Seselj, whom the tribunal has charged with contempt of court.

According to the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti, the list of demands put before Serbia as a condition for joining the EU contains the issue of the extradition of Radeta and Jojic, who are accused of influencing witnesses in the proceedings against Seselj before the ICTY, which ended in his acquittal on all charges.

A source is quoted by the newspaper as saying that Hahn has been told Serbia cannot extradite Radeta and Jojic because a Serbian court has ruled against it.

The article recalls that the Higher Court in Belgrade last May, after hearing Radeta, Jojic, and Ostojic, announced its final verdict stating that there was no valid legal basis for their extradition.

According to Serbia’ legal provisions, only persons who are charged with war crimes can be extradited to the ICTY.

The ICTY, however, has demanded that Serbia “urgently changes its legal solutions.”